1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus which is connected to a network, and is capable of forming an image by accessing the network to acquire image data, and an image processing method in the apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, a WWW (World Wide Web) server having various information contents, and a computer with dedicated software (to be referred to as a browser hereinafter) for accessing the server by HTTP (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol) are connected via a network, and one can view desired information on that WWW server from the computer. The browser can acquire and store information on the WWW server via the network. Hence, the user who wants to print given data acquires desired data into the computer, and outputs it to a printer apparatus or the like having a print function to make it print, thus allowing to print various data on the WWW server.
In this way, the conventional apparatus can print information acquired from the WWW server. Upon printing, however, since a fixed image process is always done irrespective of the contents of that information, the user encounters the following shortcomings.
(a) Since an image such as photo data that requires grayscale information, and an image such as an illustration that requires resolution undergo an identical image process, and are then printed, grayscale information of a photo or the like is lost, or the resolution of an image such as an illustration is impaired.
(b) Since gamma conversion is done irrespective of types of images, i.e., an image such as photo data or the like, and an image such as an illustration or the like, images cannot be printed with optimal tinctures according to their types.
(c) Since an image such as photo data or the like, and an image such as an illustration or the like undergo an identical undercolor removal process, images cannot be printed with optimal tinctures.
A certain information apparatus itself having a print function is provided with an access function to WWW servers, and directly accesses a WWW server designated by the user to acquire and print desired data. Also, a printer itself may be added with a function of acquiring data on a WWW server, and may directly acquire and print data on the WWW server.
However, when the printer directly acquires and prints data on the WWW server, since another data acquire instruction cannot be issued to the printer after the user instructs the printer to acquire the former data until the printer has printed this former data, the following shortcomings are posed.
(A) When the data transfer path has low transfer performance, a long time is required for acquiring one data, and another data acquire instruction cannot be issued during that data transfer period.
(B) Even when the WWW server does not start transmission of data for some reason, the printer must wait for the arrival of data.